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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28516134">The Girl Who Stands Out</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoctIsFishing/pseuds/NoctIsFishing'>NoctIsFishing</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure tri.</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Background Taiora, Background Takari, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:49:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,193</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28516134</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoctIsFishing/pseuds/NoctIsFishing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Finding the right words to say is like thinking up the lyrics to a great song. Sometimes the melody is so perfect that no lyric can do it justice. Now that Mimi has returned to Japan, Yamato has the chance to tell her how he feels, but like with any beautiful melody, the words never seem to come easy.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ishida Yamato | Matt Ishida/Tachikawa Mimi, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ishida Yamato walked along the sidewalk on Monday morning, ready for another uneventful day at school. He walked the same direction as the students wearing light blue uniforms with a white shirt underneath that matched his. Most of them, like he did, were probably dreading the sound of their teacher lecturing about the meaning and hiragana of some Japanese kanji, or about an uninteresting time in the country's history. He anticipated hanging out with his bandmates Touma and Kota during class breaks like he always did, listening to them make silly remarks on the girls walking by as they passed the time. Yamato went through the first two years of high school with the ease of this repetitive routine, some days more of a struggle than others, and even now in his third year, he couldn't imagine anything would ever be different.</p><p>But, on this Monday morning, as Yamato walked up the steps towards the entrance to Odaiba High, he noticed a black car - the fanciest he had ever seen - pulling up right at the curb at the bottom of the steps. He stopped and turned along with the other students to watch the driver, who wore a dark suit and tie, go around from his side of the car to the back passenger side. The driver opened the door, and the passenger held out her hand to be lifted out.</p><p>That was when time stopped for Yamato, as the passenger was lifted from her seat and moved away from the door. Tachikawa Mimi appeared, her hair the color of caramel draping past her shoulders, her brown eyes soft and bright against her skin that Yamato imagined only could have been kissed by the sun since he saw her last. She wore the light blue over the white like the rest of them, but Yamato could see, with his voice caught in his throat as she walked past him and up the steps wearing her radiant smile, that things were about to change.</p><hr/><p>As Yamato slid out of the classroom and into the hallways during the first break, a group of first year girls approached him.</p><p>"How's it going?" he asked with a small smile. The girls who returned shy smiles stayed behind the dark-haired girl who appeared to be their leader.</p><p>"We can't wait until your concert this Friday, Yamato!" she said excitedly. "All of us are going to be in the front row to cheer you on! You're an <em>amazing </em>singer! We are your biggest fans!"</p><p>"I'll be sure to give you a shoutout, then," Yamato said with a smirk, resulting in a burst of giggles from his followers. He had grown used to the attention after a few years, and although his friends teased him about it, he welcomed any and every compliment about his music that was tossed his way.</p><p>"Hey. Yamato."</p><p>Yamato felt an arm sling around the back of his neck, and he turned to his other side to see a familiar face wearing a toothy grin that reached his emerald green eyes.</p><p>"I'm a little jealous that you have more of a following than I do. Hello ladies," the new boy donning spiky red hair said as he winked toward the girls.</p><p>"Touma!" they squealed in reply.</p><p>"Isn't this the best?!" Touma asked Yamato as the girls scurried in the opposite direction. "All the attention we've been getting?"</p><p>"It <em>is </em>pretty cool," said Yamato, shrugging. Touma removed his arm around Yamato's neck and faced him with a surprised look on his face.</p><p>"Just 'pretty cool'?! Come <em>on, </em>Yama. You play bass, <em>and </em>you're the lead singer. It's more than just that. Admit it - you love that all the girls in school want to be all over us."</p><p>Yamato heard a laugh, and he turned his head to see two of his friends from his class approaching them from the other direction. One of the friends, the red-headed girl, kept on laughing as she eyed Touma, while the other friend next to her, a boy with big, brown, moppish hair, looked on in confusion.</p><p>"<em>All</em> the girls? What world do you live in, Touma?" she asked.</p><p>Touma grimaced at her. "I wasn't even talking to you, Sora," he replied. "Taichi, tell her to mind her own business."</p><p>"I'd rather not, if I don't want to get hurt," said Taichi.</p><p>Yamato exchanged greetings with Taichi and Sora, who revealed they were looking for him to ask if he had known about Mimi.</p><p>"Isn't that great?" Sora asked. "I can't believe she's back from New York and going to school with us now!"</p><p>"You mean, the new chick in class 2-B?" Touma asked. "She is <em>hot! </em>You guys know her?"</p><p>"Yeah, we've known her since before we started middle school," Taichi said. "It was the summer before that, when we all went to the Di-"</p><p>"-Summer camp," Sora finished, grabbing Taichi's wrist to cut him off.</p><p>"Ohh, that's right!" Touma said. "I remember you telling me you all went to the same camp."</p><p>"Yup, that's right," said Yamato, eyeing a guilty-looking Taichi, who was being stared down by Sora.</p><p>Yamato first met Mimi, Sora, and Taichi right before middle school at summer camp - well, that was what they and the other three campers called it if they mentioned it in casual conversation. No one would have believed them if they said where they <em>really </em>ended up during that summer.</p><p>But Touma didn't seem to care at all about Taichi's slip up, much less about their camp experience as his eyes wandered away from Yamato and his friends. Before Yamato could turn to see, he felt an arm hook around his elbow.</p><p>"Hey, Mimi!" Sora said cheerfully. Touma's mouth was half open, and he looked as though he had forgotten how to speak.</p><p>Yamato's heart might have skipped a beat.</p><p>"What's up, Mimi?" Yamato asked, playing it cool and turning his head to see her bright smile.</p><p>"Come on, aren't you happy to see me?" Mimi asked him.</p><p>"Oh no, you again," said Taichi with a mocking scowl.</p><p>Mimi giggled as Sora smacked Taichi's shoulder.</p><p>"Uh - I'm Touma," Touma said once he found his voice. "Me and Yamato are in a band together. <em>Knife of Day</em>. I'm the lead guitarist."</p><p>"Really?" Mimi asked. "That's so cool! I'm Mimi. Yamato and I go way back!"</p><p>"So, I've heard."</p><p>The bell sounded which signalled everyone to return to their classrooms.</p><p>"I'll catch you guys later?" Mimi asked, looking at Sora and Taichi, then at Yamato before she let go of his arm.</p><p>"Nice to meet you!" Touma said. After Mimi waved and walked away, Touma exhaled a whistle. "Hooo, wow. That girl is <em>smokin'</em>. I can't believe you know someone as stunning as she is!"</p><p>"Dude, calm down," said Yamato.</p><p>"Whatever, man, I'm just saying how I feel. I'll see you later."</p><p>Yamato parted ways with Touma and joined Taichi and Sora to return to their classroom together. He immediately noticed their eyes on him.</p><p>"What is it?" Yamato asked.</p><p>They glanced at each other, Taichi with a look that urged to spill his words, and Sora who gave him a look and shook her head before they began to walk ahead of him.</p><p>Yamato followed behind, and he knew that they both had something to say about him and Mimi but Sora had spared him the argument. They had known about how he felt about her and how he never told her, and at that moment, he was glad that he didn't have to talk about the reason why his heart was beating quickly, and that he was the one who needed to calm down.</p><hr/><p>Despite the excitement in the school over the new transfer student from New York, the week dragged on for Yamato. He had scribbled his notes into his notebook as the teacher taught their lessons, even though Yamato knew that the information wouldn't be of use to him after taking an exam. The subjects of math and physics seemed to keep his interest the best, but on most days, all he wanted to do was write music.</p><p>During the lunch period on Friday, the day of his concert, Yamato sat on a bench in the corner of the school yard, a quiet place for him to sit alone. On other days, he would join Taichi and Sora for lunch, or Touma and Kota, the drummer of their band. Sora had mentioned she was going to have lunch with Mimi which left Taichi and Yamato alone, but Taichi seemed to disappear at the lunch bell for some reason.</p><p>Yamato didn't mind; he was perfectly fine being alone with his pork bun, along with his thoughts. Sometimes, his solitude helped him think up new lyrics for his songs. It also gave him a chance to hum without anyone else listening. Even as the band's frontman, he was always self-conscious of anyone hearing him work on any music that was incomplete.</p><p>"Well, if it isn't Yamato!"</p><p>Yamato looked up from where he sat, surprised to find Mimi quickly approaching him.</p><p>"Hey, Mimi," he said. "I thought you were having lunch with Sora?"</p><p>"I asked if she wanted to, but she said she wanted to have a lunch date with Taichi, or something."</p><p>Yamato realized at that moment why Taichi had disappeared from him, and why Sora said what she did. Those two weren't too hard to figure out.</p><p>But it meant that Yamato was suddenly alone with Mimi for the first time since her return to Japan.</p><p>He at least had the courage to acknowledge her whenever he passed by her in the hallway. A small, cool smile and a wave - just like with any friend, or any girl that he knew was a fan of his music. The difference of courage seemed ridiculous to him at first when it came to just saying hi to anyone.</p><p>But then again, to him, Mimi wasn't just anyone.</p><p>"So, what brings you here?" Yamato asked her.</p><p>"I... guess I kind of wanted to explore the campus a little. It's still my first week after all."</p><p>There was hesitation in her response, but Yamato decided not to pry. It wasn't normally in his nature to do so.</p><p>"Did you wanna sit?" he asked instead.</p><p>"Why wouldn't I? It would be rude to just leave you here all alone. Why <em>are</em> you alone, anyway?"</p><p>"Does it matter?"</p><p>Mimi giggled. "It's just a question, Yamato. An inquiring mind wants to know."</p><p>It wasn't in Yamato's nature to pry, but it was definitely in Mimi's.</p><p>"I just like to have my peace and quiet sometimes. That's all."</p><p>"Oh. Does that make me a bother, then?"</p><p>Yamato was at a loss of what to say. He figured it would be wise not to respond to offend her, given how lively and animated she can get. But when he noticed the sly smile on her face, he looked back at her with a grimace.</p><p>"Come on, lighten up," Mimi said, giggling. "You're letting me sit with you. I promise I'll eat quietly."</p><p>Mimi took out her bento box and Yamato continued to finish off his pork bun before taking out his small notebook from his pocket. It was full of his handwritten scribbles, crossed out words and untidily written lyrics for new songs he had been brainstorming.</p><p>"Was that all you were going to eat?" Mimi asked him.</p><p>"It's good enough for me," he replied, and he shifted his position to lay flat on his back beside Mimi, holding up his notebook above his face. She didn't say anything else, which was the opposite of what Yamato expected, but it allowed him to fixate on his notebook, where he looked over the lyrics he had already written.</p><p>Yamato began to tap the side of the bench with his fingers, lightly tapping his fingernails to the beat that he imagined that he'd have Kota play later. The melody set to the lyrics of the first verse was already made up, and Yamato was trying to figure out how he wanted the second verse to go.</p><p>The humming that graced his ears as he was deep in thought was not his own, however, nor was it the melody he had thought up at all. Setting down his notebook and moving his eyes upward, he recognized that Mimi had begun to hum next to him.</p><p>It took her a few moments to notice that Yamato had been staring at her, and her humming didn't stop until then.</p><p>"Oh! I'm sorry!" A sheepish grin formed on her lips. "I guess I can't help wanting to fill the silence."</p><p>"What song was that from?" Yamato asked, sitting upright. "It has a nice melody."</p><p>Mimi shrugged. "Sometimes I make things up when I'm bored."</p><p>"I see. I guess that makes me boring to you."</p><p>Yamato had meant that as a joke, and he wondered whether Mimi's laugh was in response to it. But what she said next caught him off guard:</p><p>"I wouldn't be sitting here with you if I thought that, now, would I?"</p><p>"I…I guess not."</p><p>Mimi giggled, then got up from the bench and flipped her hair back. Yamato knew that his cheeks must have turned a certain shade of pink judging by the heat he felt.</p><p>"I'm going on ahead. I'll leave you to your 'peace and quiet'." She turned around and started to head off, when Yamato stopped her.</p><p>"Hey. Tonight's show. You coming?"</p><p>He hadn't been so sure when Touma brought it up the first time. When he did, Mimi had said, "I'll think about it," while she twirled a lock of her hair with her fingers. Touma never missed a moment to flirt with her, and Mimi naturally flirted back, but she never gave him a straight answer.</p><p>"Of course, I am!" Mimi told Yamato with a smile. "I can't wait to see you play."</p><p>When she left, silence fell, but Yamato never got his peace and quiet. His mind was full of racing thoughts, and his heart sang a kind of melody he hadn't heard in a long time, not since the moment he first fell for Mimi years ago.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Playing with his band was always the highlight of Yamato's day, especially when it was in front of a live audience.</p><p>Yamato and his band, <em>Knife of Day</em>, played second to last in a lineup of other young, up-and-coming musicians like themselves, but it seemed as though the audience cheered the loudest when their band performed on stage. He, Kota and Touma had been together as a band for a few years and it was only recently that they noticed the crowd getting bigger for them as they played each gig. The fourth member of the band, Akemi, had been with Yamato for longer, being in and seeing the downfall of their band in middle school called <em>Teenage Wolves</em>. Neither of them could believe their rise in popularity in <em>Knife of Day</em>.</p><p>They had recognized a handful of students from their high school, most of them girls, and Yamato noticed how loudly they screamed for them, even when the slip of his own finger made him miss the transition from the chorus to the second verse during one of their songs.</p><p>Taichi, Sora, and Mimi had stood in the center of the crowd, and even his younger brother Takeru showed up, standing in the front row. Even if Yamato avoided staring at the front row, it was hard not to ignore the catcalls and cheers from Takeru. Yamato thought it was much better facing Mimi as he sang, but at one point he noticed her making her way to the front, joining Takeru in his obnoxious adoration for his <em>Onii-chan</em>.</p><p>One thing was certain: Yamato enjoyed the thrill of playing in front of an excited crowd, but having Mimi there seemed to make everything better.</p><p>At small concerts like these, the band was used to quickly grabbing their instruments and other concert gear and running offstage after their final bow. Yamato sat for a few moments with his band at the back of the venue outside, basking in the chilly evening air that tended to the beads of sweat trickling down his face from jumping around on the stage.</p><p>Kota, Touma, and Akemi teased Yamato for bringing an extra set of clothes for every show, but it annoyed Yamato that they never did the same. It had become his routine to change out of his sweaty clothing in the venue's bathroom, then touch up his hair with hair gel, and spray some cologne before he was ready to join the general audience again.</p><p>The concert venue that night had only public bathrooms and none backstage, so it wasn't a surprise for Yamato to run into Taichi just as he was finishing up in front of the vanity mirror.</p><p>"Kickass show, Yamato," Taichi said, lightly smacking his shoulder in acknowledgement. "You were great out there."</p><p>"Thanks, dude." Yamato smiled, still on the high of his performance. He couldn't wait to hear what Mimi thought about it.</p><p>The sound of the drum kit's microphone testing muffled through the bathroom walls told Yamato that the final band on the list was nearly ready to perform their set, and he had hoped to join the floor to watch. He was pretty sure his bandmates had already done so, but he knew they would be okay with Yamato joining his own group of friends.</p><p>As Yamato spritzed on his cologne, he hadn't noticed when Taichi stood next to him, washing his hands under the faucet. Taichi was looking his way, and based on Yamato's quick glance, with a seemingly knowing expression.</p><p>"So, how was lunch today?" Taichi asked.</p><p>"Oh, lunch?" Yamato replied, remembering Taichi's disappearance at the lunch bell, and Sora's excuse that was given to Mimi. "Lunch was fine."</p><p>"I'm sure it was more than that."</p><p>Obviously, it was more than "fine", but Yamato wasn't ready to admit that to Taichi. He was still irritated by what Taichi and Sora had pulled.</p><p>"You could have just told me what you were up to. I would've had lunch with her anyway."</p><p>"And have to deal with arguing about whether you should do it or not? You hesitated to tell her how you felt about her before she moved to New York. We're not going to let you lose out on telling her again."</p><p>"Well… That's my burden to bear." Yamato put his small jar of hair gel and cologne back in his bag before he started to head out.</p><p>"Why don't you just ask her out?" Taichi pressed.</p><p>"Drop it, Taichi."</p><p>"You know you want to. It's not that hard."</p><p>"I said, <em>'drop it'</em>."</p><p>"Come onnn-"</p><p>Yamato heard what sounded like the clearing of a throat just outside the bathroom, which made him fairly certain why Taichi stopped talking suddenly, and why his face contorted into a grimace.</p><p>"Sora's waiting," Taichi said, the drastic change in his mood apparent.</p><p>Sora greeted Yamato with a warm, congratulatory hug when he and Taichi entered the lobby of the venue. She gave way for Yamato to walk ahead, entrusting him to lead them to his preferred place in the crowd to stand, where they would enjoy the final band of the evening. As Yamato led the way, he knew that he had given Sora a chance to scold Taichi, something he had grown used to throughout the time he had known them.</p><p>It was hard not to catch the words they exchanged, but Yamato knew from hearing Sora say, "I told you not to push him!" that they were arguing about him.</p><p>Whether or not they were right about his feelings didn't matter to him as he pulled open the door to the concert hall. He knew he would have to face them sooner or later; he just had no idea how to handle them when he did.</p><p>And just as he set foot in the hall, Mimi lunged forward, flinging her arms around him and held him tightly.</p><p>Yamato nearly toppled backward from mere shock, but he managed to hold his footing. He heard Mimi shout with delight and giggle, letting go of him with a cheerful smile.</p><p>"You were <em>so great</em> up there, Yamato! That was the best I've ever seen!"</p><p>"Ah- Well- Thank you!" Yamato stammered, slowly regaining his composure from her surprise hug.</p><p>"As expected by the best singer-slash-bassist in the whole wide world," added Takeru, who appeared at his side, leaning against Yamato's shoulder with his elbow. "I'm obligated to say that, being his biggest fan, and all."</p><p>"Like <em>that's</em> not obvious," Yamato retorted.</p><p>As if on cue, the sound of a bass guitar lick boomed through the speakers, which Yamato took as a sign that the show was about to begin.</p><p>"Let's move a little closer to the stage," he told the others, and started to move toward the scattered crowd, eyeing those that he planned to weave around.</p><p>Another shock to him occurred when he felt a tug on his elbow. Mimi had grabbed onto him while the others followed behind her. When he found a decent spot - an open space within the crowd for his group to stand in - he stopped in the center, with Mimi staying by his side and Takeru joining him on the other.</p><p>"Is this close enough for you?" Mimi shouted over the band's song intro, grinning.</p><p>She had let go of his arm, but as he stood shoulder to shoulder with her, he knew that it was. Not that he minded.</p><p>As he watched the band play their first two songs, bopping his head to the beats, Yamato understood why the band had been chosen to play last. The lead singer's voice was well enough, although their songs were catchy and upbeat, compared to his band's music that was a mix of lively tunes and those slower, moodier sounds.</p><p>Yamato watched his friends enjoying themselves. Tai had gotten Sora to dance along with him, and Mimi was having fun dancing on her own, as though she didn't have a care in the world.</p><p>He admired that about her.</p><p>"Come on, Yamato!" she yelled. "Don't be shy - it's not like we haven't seen you dancing on stage already!"</p><p>Despite her persuasion, Yamato declined. She pouted, but smiled again as soon as Takeru joined her dance-along both of them as crazy as they were during the whole of his band's set. At the last song, Takeru pulled Yamato to take his place, leaving him no choice but to finally sway to the beat.</p><p>"That's more like it!" shouted Mimi, flashing Yamato a smile before turning toward the stage to dance.</p><p>Yamato planned to have a chat with Takeru later, but it was hard for him to be upset at that moment, not when he was watching Mimi have the time of her life.</p><p>At the end of the concert, Yamato, Taichi, and Takeru waited at the front while Mimi and Sora went to the ladies' room. Their plan was to head to the afterparty at Touma's house, which Sora had been excited to bring MImi along for the first time. As the boys waited, a few of the concert-goers recognized Yamato and cheered excitedly at him, even asking him for pictures. Some girls had even noticed Takeru and gathered around him as he chatted and made them squeak with laughter.</p><p>"He could not be more different than you," Taichi quipped.</p><p>"Tell me something I don't already know," Yamato replied.</p><p>The atmosphere changed, however, when Sora and Mimi returned. Mimi appeared to be fuming and Sora was in a huff.</p><p>"Whoa," said Taichi. "What happened?"</p><p>"We ran into some girls from school, from a year below us," Sora answered hotly, and Yamato knew she was better tempered than Mimi, who at that moment was too upset to speak. "They called us 'groupies' and that we wanted to get close to Yamato for <em>'one thing'</em>."</p><p>"'One thing?'" Taichi asked.</p><p>Mimi groaned. "That girl was lucky I was held back! I swear I was ready to ruin her 'smokey eye' with more purple!"</p><p>"I was ready to do the same!" Sora added fiercely.</p><p>"...We should probably head out," Yamato suggested, feeling the anger continue to fester between the two girls.</p><p>"Yeah, no kidding," said Taichi, taking Sora by both of her shoulders and starting their walk away from the venue.</p><p>Yamato hailed Takeru who left the group of girls that let out a sad "aww" as he said his goodbye. He then turned to Mimi who fell into silence. Her angry face had disappeared, but her head was lowered as she walked next to him.</p><p>"Are you okay, Mimi?" Yamato asked out of concern.</p><p>"What does it look like?" she snapped. But as though she realized soon after, her face fell. "I'm sorry, Yamato. I didn't mean that. Those girls really got me going."</p><p>"I'll say..."</p><p>The five of them made it to the first street corner where they intended to cross to Touma's house. Silence fell during their walk, but Sora was the first to break it.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Yamato," she said. "I'm not in the mood to go to the party tonight."</p><p>"I guess that makes two of us," Taichi chimed in.</p><p>"I was on my way home anyway," Takeru added. "Mind if I join you guys?"</p><p>"Not at all."</p><p>"Great!" Takeru started ahead as the walk sign turned on. "I could stop by to say hi to Hikari. Later, Yamato!"</p><p>"Text me when you get home," Yamato called. He then eyed Taichi who looked as though he didn't approve of Takeru's plan. Sora gave Yamato a smile and waved as she, Taichi, and Takeru crossed the street.</p><p>That was when it hit Yamato that he was alone with Mimi again.</p><p>This time, he knew it wasn't intentional. It was just an unfortunate circumstance that ended the night early. He noticed how much it bummed Sora out.</p><p>And unsurprisingly, it did the same for Mimi.</p><p>"I think I'd rather just go home," she said, the sound of her exhaling a mix of frustration and remorse.</p><p>Yamato knew the right thing to do.</p><p>"Then, let me walk you," he said.</p><p>"It's this way."</p><p>She pointed toward the corner, and Yamato walked with her.</p><p>The first few yards of their stroll were filled with silence, which Yamato couldn't help but find jarring. Mimi had been quiet from the venue to the street corner, too, and he expected her to say something by that point. He gathered how troubled she must have been.</p><p>"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, wondering if that would give her a little push.</p><p>The push was just enough. In fact, from her first exasperated sigh, he readied himself as she began to explain how upset she was, then she recounted every detail from the moment she met with Sora outside of the bathroom, to the time their schoolmates confronted them, including every word exchanged between them, to when Mimi stepped forward but Sora threw her arm in front of her to demand the girls to back off. Yamato waited a few seconds after Mimi scoffed and threw her arms up in the air before he gathered that she had vented it all out.</p><p>As Mimi rambled animatedly from beginning to the end, Yamato could only feel disdain for those other girls. The price of what he considered a small sliver of fame showed in the ugliness in the behavior of those who idolized him in such a way.</p><p>"I'm sorry it happened," was all Yamato could say, although he wished he had better comforting words.</p><p>"It wasn't your fault," Mimi said, shaking her head. "Sayuri started it. She never seemed like a nice person anyway."</p><p>"Sayuri?"</p><p>Hearing that name surprised Yamato; given that Sora mentioned her and the other girls being a grade lower than theirs - the same as Mimi's - Sayuri was someone who was usually on friendly terms with Sora. Why, then, would she suddenly turn on her that evening?</p><p>"Sora told me it was best to stay away from her if she was going to act that way. I didn't come back to Japan for the drama, anyway."</p><p>"Why did you come back, anyway?" Yamato asked, realizing that he hadn't asked that question all week.</p><p>"Why, you ask?" Mimi turned to look at him, her lips forming a smile. "I missed everyone! It wasn't fair that all of my close friends were still going to school together and I was missing out on all the fun! Everyone's growing up. Even Takeru is growing to be a handsome little stud!"</p><p>Yamato rolled his eyes. "All the girls say that."</p><p>"You're probably jealous of your own brother."</p><p>"Am not."</p><p>"You totally are!" Mimi laughed. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he's taken by now. He only really has his eyes for Hikari, you know."</p><p>"Wait." Yamato stopped walking. "They're dating?"</p><p>Mimi gasped and stopped a step after. "Oh - Oops! Hikari told me to keep that a secret."</p><p>"No wonder he's been especially giddy lately."</p><p>"It's so cute! I'm so happy for them."</p><p>"So am I."</p><p>Yamato shared a smile with Mimi before continuing to walk. He had suspicions of Takeru having a secret girlfriend and had been surprised that Taichi was clueless to Hikari's situation. Even if Takeru was keeping a secret from him, Yamato figured Takeru would tell him sooner or later.</p><p>Seeing Mimi in good spirits again put Yamato's mind at ease. It bothered him to see her so angry.</p><p>"Hey, Yamato, thanks for walking me home," Mimi said when they turned into a residential street. "I feel bad for making you miss out on your party."</p><p>"Don't mention it," he replied. "It's not right for you to be walking home alone, anyway."</p><p>"Such a gentleman!" Then, Mimi slowed to a stop in front of her house and turned to face Yamato. "Well, this is me."</p><p>"Alright, then…" Yamato somehow noticed his hands had been digging into the pockets of his hooded jacket. "Thanks for coming to my show."</p><p>"I'm glad you invited me, Yamato. I had a nice time walking with you."</p><p>Mimi was smiling, staring into his eyes as though she waited for his next response.</p><p>"I had a nice time, too."</p><p>Yamato knew what he wanted to say next. Taichi knew, so did Sora, and he was certain that Mimi was waiting for him to say it. His ears were ringing, but not from the blasting music, and his heart raced in anticipation.</p><p>He chuckled nervously, feeling his shoulders tense up, and he noticed Mimi laughing the same way. What was wrong with him? He had gone back and forth in his head about her while she was gone, trying to forget his feelings and dwelling in his regret. Yet, there she stood at arm's length, his chance to confess right in front of him.</p><p>"Yamato," she said.</p><p>She closed the gap between them, lifting her heels, and pressed her lips against his cheek. It was a small peck, light and soft - enough to take his breath away.</p><p>"...What was that for?" Yamato asked with all the breath he could muster.</p><p>"For being a gentleman," Mimi said with a slight shrug. "For walking me home. It wasn't as bad as I thought, considering I didn't call for my driver to come pick me up."</p><p>Yamato raised a brow. "Did you prefer not to walk…?"</p><p>"It's different when it's with you…"</p><p>He could feel his blush spread across his cheeks, and he regretted not wearing his hoodie over his head, if only to cover his ears which he felt were just as red. But when his eyes shifted to glimpse at Mimi, he saw her giggling with a soft glow of pink on her own cheeks.</p><p>"And thank you for not leaving me alone, Yamato," she added. "It means a lot.I'll see you on Monday?"</p><p>With a wink, Mimi turned from him and walked the small pathway to her house, turning with a wave when she went through the door. Yamato raised his hand to bid her goodnight, and watched as she flashed a smile and closed the door behind her.</p><p>Yamato set off to return to the main street, holding his fingers to his cheek, trying to process the last five minutes. Despite the fact that he held back from revealing how he felt, he wondered if Mimi had caught on, and if she even felt the same way.</p><p>With that in mind, he knew that he needed to stop hesitating, and maybe, just maybe, he would finally ask her out.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aaah Yama just keeps hesitating! But it's not stopping Mimi, is it? ;)</p><p>It would've been fun to see more concerts in the tri. movies, but that's just me. There may or may not be a few more musical references as this story goes along.</p><p>Hope you're all doing well so far this year (I know we're 17 days in but geez..) Thank you for reading! More soon. &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On Monday, Yamato met up with Kota during lunch at the cafeteria. They both had a table to themselves among the other tables filled with students. Yamato had noticed this at first and didn't mind it, but Sora had pointed out one day that some of their classmates were intimidated by him and his bandmates.</p><p>"It's not that I am one of them," Sora added. "I don't want to be rude in case you're talking about band things."</p><p>"You can sit at our table, Sora," Yamato said.</p><p>"What about me?" Taichi asked. "Am I not cool enough?"</p><p>"You're not."</p><p>"Sorry, Taichi," said Sora, equally as nonchalant.</p><p>In actuality, Yamato, Kota, and Touma hardly talked about "band things" whenever they ate lunch together. They had talked about the latest music they liked, but they also talked about whatever was on their minds. Touma was the most talkative among the three of them, and while both Yamato and Kota were completely fine sitting together without saying a word, they were both responsive to Touma whenever the conversation warranted.</p><p>Monday's lunch period started off with Yamato and Kota quietly eating together, but they were soon joined by Touma who looked less than amused.</p><p>"Still down about me ditching your party?" Yamato asked. "I said I was 'sorry'."</p><p>"It's not that, but don't make it worse," Touma whined. "Besides, you don't even sound sorry."</p><p>"Then, what is it?"</p><p>"You know the hot new transfer girl?"</p><p>"She has a name. It's Mimi."</p><p>"Yeah. Mimi. I asked her out."</p><p>Yamato held his bottle of tea mid-air and stopped just as he was about to sip. A few more moments and that sip would have turned into a coughing attack.</p><p>"You asked her out?" Kota asked. "I'm guessing she turned you down?"</p><p>"She said, 'No thanks. Not interested.'"</p><p>Yamato felt a wash of relief, and continued to drink his tea.</p><p>"That's a bummer," said Kota.</p><p>"You'll get over it, Touma," said Yamato. "You always do."</p><p>Yamato looked around the cafeteria, wondering if Sora and Taichi decided to sit in the cafeteria for lunch that day. He found them at a table not too far away, but he had caught Mimi's gaze first. His heart seemed to leap higher than before, and he was glad no one else had noticed. He smiled and waved at her, and he felt lighter as she did the same, with Taichi and Sora joining in right after.</p><p>"I thought I had it all figured out," Touma whined. "I thought my chances were pretty high since the other guys in class seem to be too afraid to talk to her."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>This was news to Yamato, but Touma looked at him in disbelief.</p><p>"I thought you were good friends."</p><p>"She likes to talk, but I wouldn't expect her to tell me everything."</p><p>"Well.. do you at least know what she looks for in a guy?"</p><p>Yamato stared at him. "Why would you think I knew that?"</p><p>"At least let me grasp for straws here."</p><p>"I mean… even I wouldn't know. She's hard to figure out sometimes."</p><p>"So… what you're saying is. She might be playing hard to get."</p><p>Yamato furrowed his brow. "How did you come to <em>that</em> conclusion?"</p><p>"I just feel it, man. Maybe she wants me to try harder."</p><p>Hearing this struck a nerve in Yamato. "Don't be an idiot. She might be complicated, but when she says she's not interested, she means it."</p><p>"He's right," said Kota. "She didn't say, 'I'm not interested right now.' She downright shot you down."</p><p>"Sorry, Touma. You shouldn't take things the wrong way. Not with Mimi."</p><p>"...You still don't mean 'sorry'," Touma grumbled but continued to eat his food.</p><p>The rest of the lunch period was silent between the three of them. Yamato had known Touma long enough to figure out what he might have been thinking. He usually took advantage of his persuasiveness when it came to flirting, so it amazed Yamato that Mimi shot him down unfazed. But Touma was also persistent, and Yamato was convinced that Touma's eye for Mimi wasn't going to end anytime soon.</p><p>Yamato knew Kota just as long, and Kota's stare toward him was judgmental. Kota was wise and unlikely to blurt it out in front of Touma anyway, but Yamato knew that Kota already knew his feelings for Mimi without saying a word.</p><hr/><p>And yet, Yamato found it hard to ask Mimi out himself. At the end of that school day, he was walking down the steps with Taichi, when they both noticed her standing at the curb. Yamato began to wonder about the frown she wore as she stood there when he felt a nudge on his side.</p><p>"Right?" Taichi asked.</p><p>"What?" said Yamato.</p><p>"Typical of you to be distracted." Taichi grinned. "I was just saying how it surprised me that she hasn't asked <em>you </em>out yet."</p><p>"Huh. You make a good point." Yamato's eyes never looked away from her.</p><p>"Well, it shouldn't matter right now - because now's your chance!"</p><p>Taichi gave a forceful push against Yamato's back.</p><p>"Don't be so pushy-!" Yamato said angrily, which seemed to catch Mimi's attention.</p><p>"Oh, Yamato?!" Mimi said, smiling the moment she turned around.</p><p>"Hey…" Yamato turned and saw Taichi already walking away, raising his hand as his goodbye.</p><p>He was alone with her once again.</p><p>"You must be waiting for your ride?" Yamato continued, fighting off the internal panic of the moment, along with his irritation towards Taichi.</p><p>"Yeah. He should be here any minute now. Where are you off to? Want me to take you?"</p><p>"I'm off to practice with the band..." At that moment, Yamato remembered what happened with Touma before lunch. "...Maybe it wouldn't be a good idea this time."</p><p>"Oh, that's right," Mimi replied with a nervous giggle. "It would be awkward to run into Touma again. I hope I didn't hurt his pride."</p><p>"He'll be mopey for a while, but he'll get over it."</p><p>"Then, I won't feel too bad!"</p><p>"Good."</p><p>Yamato couldn't help but smile as Mimi giggled, but that was when he realized that he was given the perfect opening. Mimi didn't seem to have anything to say next, and her eyes moved to look at him, as though she was waiting for his next words.</p><p>
  <em>Beep, Beep!</em>
</p><p>"Oh! My car's here." Mimi said.</p><p><em>Say something, Yamato!</em> he told himself.</p><p>"Well… I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."</p><p>"Okay! See ya!" Mimi flashed one more smile before turning her heel and walking towards the car. The chauffeur was already at the passenger door which was opened for Mimi to climb in.</p><p>Watching the passenger door close and the car drive away, Yamato felt more like an idiot with every passing second. He could care less how Touma felt about Mimi, so why did he make that excuse? For those few moments, he had Mimi's full attention.</p><p>All he could conclude was that he was a coward.</p><p>Xox</p><p>Yamato planned for Tuesday to be his next attempt to ask Mimi out. He had even gathered the courage to invite her to lunch with him when he ran into her in the hallway.</p><p>"I'd love to, but I can't," she said with a side frown. "I'm having lunch with some of the girls from class."</p><p>"They're finally warming up to you?" Sora asked. "It's about time."</p><p>"Isn't it great?" Mimi grinned. "Don't worry, Yamato. I owe you a lunch date."</p><p>Mimi walked away with a spring in her step, and Yamato was suddenly embarrassed as Taichi and Sora stared at his flushed cheeks.</p><p>"Shut up," he said.</p><p>"We didn't even say anything," Taichi said, smiling widely.</p><p>"Leave him alone, Taichi," said Sora. "It wouldn't be an actual date, but he still asked to hang out together at school. Baby steps."</p><p>But Yamato was surprised at lunchtime, when he turned the corner to his secluded lunch spot and found Mimi sitting on his bench.</p><p>"Mimi?" he said as he approached her. He dropped his bag to the side of the bench when he sat next to her. "I thought you had lunch with the girls from class?"</p><p>"Well, plans change in the end," she replied.</p><p>Yamato heard the somber tone in her voice. Mimi's head was lowered, and Yamato couldn't see her eyes hiding behind her hair that had fallen in front of her face.</p><p>"You okay?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>Not knowing what else to do, Yamato fished his pork bun from his bag and held it out for her.</p><p>"I brought my own lunch, silly," she said. "What else are you going to eat?"</p><p>"Fair point. Let's eat together, then."</p><p>"I'm...I'm not hungry."</p><p>Yamato drew his pork bun back and leaned toward her with growing concern.</p><p>"Don't give me that," he demanded. "I know something's bothering you, and it's okay if you don't tell me. But if you're not going to eat now, you're going to feel it much worse later on in the day. I'd hate to be the one around you when the time comes."</p><p>He watched Mimi sit still for a few moments. Then, she moved to pick up her bag and took out her bento box and placed it in front of her. Seeing that she decided not to starve, Yamato sat back and allowed himself a few helpings of his pork bun.</p><p>They sat next to each other, eating in silence. Yamato glanced her way a few times, wanting to ask, but caution got the best of him. It wasn't until the last bite of his second pork bun and the crumple of his wrapper that Mimi finally spoke up.</p><p>"Is that really all you're going to eat?" she asked. Her head was tilted as she glanced back at him, and she stared at him curiously.</p><p>"Yeah, it fills me right up."</p><p>Mimi continued to stare at him. "It's barely a meal."</p><p>"It's enough to keep me going for the rest of the day. It's tasty, too." He noticed the disproving glance similar to Sora's when she had judged his and Taichi's eating habits. "What's it to you?"</p><p>"I mean, wouldn't you rather have a small, hearty lunch with a little bit of rice and vegetables? I'm sure you'd need the energy for after school when you're jumping around at band rehearsal, too."</p><p>"So then, I'd just grab something from the store on the way. I don't really have the time to make lunch in the morning."</p><p>"But you cook, don't you?"</p><p>Yamato did. He and his father used to take turns cooking dinner, but that year his father worked many late nights, leaving Yamato to cook all the time. With each year of high school bringing more piles of schoolwork along with spending time with his band, Yamato was only able to cook a few nights a week, with takeaway and ready-made meals to fill the gaps.</p><p>He explained all of this to Mimi as she ate, and then she asked what kind of meals he liked to cook.</p><p>"Wow, Yamato, I should hire you as my chef!" Mimi said, staring as though there were stars in her eyes as he listed off his favorite stews and dishes. "I'll make you cook for me every day!"</p><p>Yamato chuckled. "If that happened, I'd probably have to leave my band."</p><p>"What? Why not do both? Be a rockstar chef! You could sing while you fry me an omelette."</p><p>"You couldn't pay me to do that."</p><p>"You'd be <em>my</em> rockstar chef, so I totally would!"</p><p>Mimi smiled at him looking self-assured. Yamato stared back in disbelief, although unsurprised by her ridiculous idea. He could imagine her giving him demands as he stood in front of the stove wearing a chef's uniform, and arguing with her as he protested.</p><p>At the sound of the bell, Yamato blinked, and realized how long his gaze was locked with Mimi's. He noticed her blink and she shifted her gaze. She was still smiling, but the mood seemed to change the moment she blinked.</p><p>Yamato wondered if he had been the cause of her subtle mood swing, but then, he remembered the change of her lunch plans and how it made her feel.</p><p>"Want me to walk you to class?" Yamato asked, standing up and grabbing his bag. "I don't care about being late."</p><p>"But I do!" she replied. "Let's walk together until we have to part ways. I wouldn't want you to be late because of me."</p><p>"I wouldn't blame you. Who would?"</p><p>Mimi didn't answer.</p><p>"Let's go," she said.</p><p>The walk was uncomfortably silent with Mimi remaining tight-lipped. He was starting to wonder if whatever bothered her had anything to do with him.</p><p>"Listen, Mimi," he said, just as they reached the point in the hallway where they would continue in opposite directions. "If there's anything that's bothering you, even if I had anything to do with it, you can let me know. I don't mean to hurt you in any way."</p><p>But Mimi's frown suddenly changed, and her laughter filled the hallway.</p><p>"You've done no such thing!" she said. "If anything, you made me feel a lot better! You're the best, Yamato."</p><p>"Ishida!"</p><p>Yamato was caught off guard as Touma's forceful slap on his back nearly pushed him right into Mimi.</p><p>"Don't wanna be late to class," Touma said. "Right, Mimi?"</p><p>Mimi gave Touma a half-smile, and Yamato glared.</p><p>"I guess you're right," Mimi replied.</p><p>Yamato watched Touma and Mimi walk toward the same classroom, and he turned to walk the other way, rolling his eyes. It was another failed attempt to ask Mimi out, but as he headed toward the staircase to head to his classroom, Yamato turned for one final glimpse toward their classroom, and saw that Mimi had turned to look for him at the same time.</p><hr/><p>Friday rolled around, and Yamato still hadn't asked Mimi out, but he hoped for that to change by the end of the day.</p><p>"I'm going for it," said Yamato that afternoon to Sora on their way to their physical education. Taichi had been excused to join the soccer team's early practice.</p><p>"Going for what?" she asked.</p><p>It was easier to admit to Sora than it was to Taichi, who seemed quick to respond with teasing. Yamato might have felt more pressure from himself, but it seemed less so when talking it out with her.</p><p>"I'm going to ask Mimi out."</p><p>"Whoa, really? That's great! Good for you!" Sora lightly punched his arm in response. "Don't let us stand in your way."</p><p>Yamato laughed. "It's not like you two haven't been trying to push me to do it, anyway."</p><p>"Those were nudges," Sora clarified.</p><p>"More like shoves."</p><p>In fairness, Yamato had been hesitating all week, but both Taichi and Sora always seemed to find new excuses to get him and Mimi alone together, things like, "Sora told me about this book she thought I would actually like," or "I need to visit Taichi at the nurse's office. They think he sprained his wrist." Yamato could see right through them, as clever they were, although, even with those lunch times and class breaks alone with Mimi didn't give him enough courage to ask her out.</p><p>Being alone with Mimi seemed to be a mixed bag for Yamato. Mimi was not afraid to say aloud whatever she had in her head at the moment, sometimes whining about how the curls in her hair didn't turn out right that morning, or how she couldn't find her favorite lipstick. She had asked Yamato about every part of his school day whenever she wasn't talking about hers. It still annoyed her to see him being "just fine" with only two pork buns for lunch, and, at one point, she even had the audacity to mention his big slip up at Friday's concert after the chorus of that one song that he thought no one outside of the band would notice.</p><p>Those moments drove him crazy, but it was those moments that reminded himself how closed off he tended to be, and that he needed to lighten up, like Touma, Taichi and even Mimi had told him. "Lightening up" would apparently get him to be more approachable and get more girls to talk to him.</p><p>But all Yamato wanted was to lighten up enough to ask Mimi out.</p><p>As he and Sora walked toward the locker rooms, Yamato cracked a smile at Sora's giggling. Admitting it aloud made him the weight of the question feel lighter on his mind. What was so hard about asking Mimi out, anyway?</p><p><em>Everything</em>, he thought.</p><p>"Tell me how it goes?" Sora asked. "Or should I wait to hear Mimi's side of it when she tells me?"</p><p>"I'm sure she'll beat me to it."</p><p>"It's nice to see you in a good mood, Yamato. I'm sure she'll be just as excited. She's been pretty down lately about other things, so this could really cheer her up."</p><p>"Other things?"</p><p>"Oh- it's nothing! Don't worry about it!" Sora said suddenly. "When are you going to ask her, anyway?"</p><p>"Hmm. I don't know. The next time I see her, I guess."</p><p>"Sora! Yamato!"</p><p>Yamato stopped in his tracks.</p><p>"Hey, Mimi!" Sora called out, waving at Mimi who was quickly approaching them from the girls' locker room a few feet away. Then she lowered her voice for only Yamato to hear. "You sure you want to do this now?"</p><p>"Heh…"</p><p>Yamato had forgotten that the second year classes had PE right before the third years, which made him forget about the odds of running into her.</p><p>"Fancy running into you guys here," Mimi said, looking at Yamato.</p><p>"Yeah, and I probably should get going!" Sora replied. She patted Yamato's shoulder and whispered, "You've got this!" before waving again with a sheepish smile, then sprinting away. Once again, Yamato was left with an opening.</p><p>But, once again, his mind went blank, and he had forgotten how to speak.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Building up more conflict here while Yamato continues to dilly-dally. This is my first fic where Mimato is the main ship and it's been fun to write them together. (I have DoreDore, but I try to fit a lot of ships in it ;) ) Anyway, I hope you're liking it, too. Thanks for reading and giving me some love. It makes my day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On Saturday, in the late afternoon, Yamato stood at the doorstep of the Tachikawa residence. He wore a casual shirt and jeans with his hands in the pockets of his favorite black leather jacket. His hair was gelled with closer attention than he normally had for it, even considering his carefulness when he prepared for a show with <em>Knife of Day</em>. Taking a deep breath, Yamato took one of his hands out of his pocket and reached for the doorbell.</p><p>The door opened, and Mimi was glowing. She had put her hair up in a ponytail with her bangs flowing on either sides of her face, and she wore an off-shoulder long sleeve top over her dark tank top, with jeans and boots to round out her outfit.</p><p>If Takeru and Hikari weren't standing behind Yamato, this would have actually been considered a date. That is, if Yamato had the confidence to even ask. His run-in with her on the way to PE the day before had ended as soon as Sora left them alone, when a group of girls from Mimi's class passed by and said hello to Yamato. Judging by Mimi's fading cheerfulness it wasn't hard for Yamato to gather that something about those girls was bothering Mimi. She avoided the subject, however, and followed their direction toward the main school building, leaving Yamato to rush to PE before getting in trouble.</p><p>Mimi was all smiles on Saturday, however. She went around to hug everyone who picked her up, but Yamato was the first one she hugged. The flowery scent from her lingered as she moved from him to tackle-hug Hikari.</p><p>"To karaoke?" Takeru asked.</p><p>"To karaoke!" Mimi exclaimed.</p><p>Takeru had sworn this outing was all his idea. He had told Yamato that he knew Hikari hadn't gotten a chance to see Mimi since she returned from New York, and that everyone always turned down his karaoke idea without Mimi, which was true, even for Yamato, considering that he actually despised karaoke.</p><p>But Mimi jumped at the chance, and she was better at persuading Taichi and Sora to come along, and Yamato, too, who had reluctantly accepted.</p><p>"What was that?" Yamato asked Takeru, referring to Takeru and Sora facing each other as soon as everyone met up in front of the karaoke place.</p><p>"Just showing affection to my big sis," Takeru replied with a grin.</p><p>If Yamato hadn't blinked, he might have been able to confirm that Sora and Takeru had exchanged winks.</p><p>"Come on, guys!" said Mimi. "Let's get this show on the road!"</p><p>Mimi was the first to walk through the doors with Takeru, who eagerly joined her on the way to the front desk.</p><p>Yamato followed them with Taichi who placed his arm around Sora, and his other arm around Hikari. "Let's go, ladies," Taichi said. "Hikari, ready to wow them with the vocal chops of the Yagami clan?"</p><p>Sora shot Taichi a look while Hikari laughed.</p><p>"I'm not sure about that," replied Hikari. "But we'll have fun anyway."</p><p>"You're quiet, Sora," Taichi added.</p><p>"I just have nothing to say," Sora said. "It's just karaoke."</p><p>Despite the suspicion surrounding her and Takeru's earlier greeting, Yamato had a feeling why there was an odd air about Sora, especially when he saw her exchange a glance with Hikari. Taichi had yet to figure out that Hikari was dating Takeru. After Mimi revealed the fact to Yamato, it had been difficult to keep it on his conscience alone; so he confronted Takeru the moment he brought up that he was going to bring Hikari along to karaoke.</p><p>"Have you already told Taichi that you and Hikari are dating?" Yamato had asked, which caused Takeru to spit out the soda he had been drinking.</p><p>"How did you find out?!"</p><p>"Mimi likes to talk."</p><p>"Ah... and did she talk long enough until you found out that she's been waiting for you to ask her out?"</p><p>Yamato glared. "Taichi won't find you out from me."</p><p>"So then, Mimi won't find you out from me, either."</p><p>Although Mimi had booked the smallest karaoke room available for the group, the room was spacious for its size. The couches that lined the walls were firm but comfortable to sit on, and even with the table in the center of the room, there was enough space for anyone who wanted to sing while standing.</p><p>After ordering the snacks and the drinks. Takeru won the game of Rock, Paper, Scissors against Mimi which meant that he got to sing first. While he looked over the song menu with Hikari to help him choose the first song, Mimi took her seat next to Yamato with a smile.</p><p>"Do you have any songs in mind?" she asked.</p><p>Yamato shrugged, knowing in the back of his mind that he had no intention of singing at all. "Not really. We just got here."</p><p>"Be careful, Yamato," Sora said as she sat across from them next to Taichi, who was also looking through a menu. "Mimi pretty much has her own setlist planned. I wouldn't be surprised if she made one up for you, too."</p><p>Yamato wouldn't have been surprised either, but he turned to Mimi with a look of skepticism. "And how would you know what songs I know?"</p><p>"Don't think I haven't snooped through your iTunes during lunch!"</p><p>Mimi gave him a sly smile that only made him smirk. He should have known that's what she was doing when he let her listen to a few of his song recordings on his phone. He had always been reluctant in sharing raw recordings to anyone outside of his band, but after Mimi kept constantly asking him about them, he had decided to give in.</p><p>Takeru picked up the microphone, which had a number pad to enter the code of the song he wanted to sing. When he pushed the button for his first song to begin, the room fell silent, except for Mimi and Taichi who cheered for him.</p><p>"This one's for you, <em>Onii-chan</em>," Takeru said with a wink, and Yamato rolled his eyes as he recognized the song. Yamato had known Takeru to have a great singing voice. He was proud of Takeru to sing in tune and with charm. He was only annoyed at the fact that Takeru was into the sugary sounds of popular music that seemed to play on the radio all the time.</p><p>Everyone else clapped and danced along as Takeru sang <em>"Boy" by Charlie Puth</em>, especially Hikari who sat and watched him, bedazzled by his performance. When the song ended, Mimi led the hollering as Takeru stood up to take his bow.</p><p>"Who do you choose next, Takeru?" Mimi asked.</p><p>"Hmm," he said. "Taichi, wanna go?"</p><p>"You bet!" Taichi eagerly grabbed the microphone from Takeru and immediately knew which numbers to push for his song.</p><p>Taichi was out of tune from the first note of <em>One OK Rock's "Wasted Nights"</em>, but he showed how much he didn't care. Yamato glanced at Sora who raised her brows, then to Mimi who gave him a knowing stare before giggling.</p><p>By the time the song reached the chorus, Taichi was up on his feet, belting out the lyrics and tapping his foot to the song. He certainly had the charisma of a lead singer - something Yamato thought as he watched everyone in the room dancing to the beat in their seats. Sora and Hikari sang along, and even Yamato found himself bopping his head and singing the lyrics himself.</p><p>"Yeah! Taichi!" Mimi cried as everyone met Taichi with applause.</p><p>"Thank you, thank you," said Taichi, pretending to smooth his hair. "If you want pictures, make sure you take my good side."</p><p>"Get off the stage!" Yamato jokingly heckled.</p><p>"You know you're my biggest fan."</p><p>Mimi smacked Yamato lightly on his shoulder, but was giggling hysterically. It surprised him that she was laughing that much, but somehow it made him feel lighter.</p><p>A knock came on the door, and the host appeared with a tray of iced teas and waters, along with an array of snacks.</p><p>"You ordered edamame, Mimi?" Sora asked. "You're the best."</p><p>"All for you, my love!" Mimi said. "Takeru, make sure you save some dumplings for the rest of us!"</p><p>"'Course!" he said as he and Hikari grabbed one each.</p><p>"Dibs on the karaage!" Taichi said over the microphone. "Until then, I choose Sora as the next singer."</p><p>"Me?" Sora asked, already munching on an <em>edamame</em> pod.</p><p>"I have a feeling about you, Sora."</p><p>"That's what you said when you <em>first asked me out</em>."</p><p>Taichi held the microphone out to Sora who took it from him, although it seemed as though everyone's eyes were on Yamato.</p><p>"What is it?" Yamato asked, but he pouted, wishing that Sora didn't have to remark on something so painfully obvious.</p><p>Mimi didn't seem to be bothered by it. "You should try the sweet potato fries!" she said, holding the basket in front of him. "They're <em>so</em> good. I'm obsessed!"</p><p>Yamato never cared for french fries, but the orange color had him curious. Once he had a taste, he was pleasantly surprised.</p><p>"Wow, these are amazing," he said, taking another fry.</p><p>"Right? I could eat these all day."</p><p>"You have good taste."</p><p>Mimi giggled. "I know I do."</p><p>Sora cleared her throat, which was amplified through the microphone she held. Yamato turned to Sora who was smiling.</p><p>Taichi made a harsh and exaggerated <em>"sshh" </em>sound to signal that his girlfriend was about to start her song.</p><p>"'<em>King of Anything?'"</em> Taichi said as he read the song title on the screen.</p><p>"Speaking of when you first asked me out..." said Sora.</p><p>Everyone's attention turned to Sora who held the mic to her lips, and any feeling of embarrassment for Yamato disappeared when Sora began to sing. Mimi's jaw dropped while Taichi's mouth hung open. Yamato knew that Sora was a fan of Sara Bareilles but was just as surprised as the rest of the room at how good Sora sounded when she sang the song. Taichi looked over to Yamato, his lips mouthing, "Did you know?!" and Yamato shook his head, just as shocked.</p><p>Sora's voice was pleasant to listen to. Hikari clapped to the beat with glee while Takeru rested his chin on his palms, watching Sora with starry eyes.</p><p>"<em>Lemme hold your crown, babe</em>," Sora sang as she pretended to take one off from Taichi's head. Yamato joined the others in laughter while Taichi rolled his eyes and nodded in humility. By the end, Yamato and Mimi stood up in applause, followed by Taichi, Hikari, and Takeru. Sora blushed and gave everyone an incredulous stare, waving frantically for them to sit down.</p><p>"Wooo Sora!" Mimi shouted. "Encore!"</p><p>"Let's not do that," Sora said, sitting back down. "Hikari, go next."</p><p>"You want me to go after <em>that</em>?" Hikari asked. "Not with the Yagami curse. I have stage fright now."</p><p>"Aww, Hikari, you can't be that bad," said Takeru.</p><p>"You've heard my brother."</p><p>Taichi held his hands up as he shrugged, but Takeru continued to insist.</p><p>Yamato let out a soft exhale of relief, content with not being chosen to sing. He didn't mind not singing for as long as possible. Meanwhile, he noticed Mimi being antsy beside him, and he knew that she was waiting for her turn.</p><p>"I have an idea!" Mimi exclaimed and stood up. "Takeru, why don't you sing a duet with Hikari?"</p><p>"Well, it would make me feel better if I didn't sing alone," Hikari said in a thoughtful tone.</p><p>"Then, let's do it!" Takeru said, grabbing another microphone.</p><p>Mimi clapped her hands together in delight, then took her seat. Yamato chuckled.</p><p>"You just wanted them to sing together so that your turn would be quicker," he said.</p><p>Mimi scrunched her face, then stuck her tongue at him. "Wait until you find out what I have up my sleeve."</p><p>"Oh no," was his initial thought aloud.</p><p>"Ah! I love this song!" Mimi said suddenly at the first notes of the song.</p><p>Yamato read the song details on the screen and recognized the name, <em>Crystal Kay,</em> but not the other artist called <em>Chemistry</em>, nor their duet song, <em>"Two As One"</em>. The upbeat sounds of pop blared through the speakers and Yamato recognized why Takeru would be familiar with this tune.</p><p>Other than giggling through the first verse, Yamato didn't think Hikari sounded as bad as she thought she would, despite sounding a pitch sharper in most of the parts that she sang. Takeru danced next to her, watching her as he sang with encouragement.</p><p>When Takeru and Hikari sang the last line in unison, they faced each other and held the last note before laughing together.</p><p>"Too cute!" Mimi said during the applause.</p><p>Takeru and Hikari had been sitting fairly close, and Yamato noticed Taichi looking their way while he sat with his arm around Sora, who had quickly noticed what was happening. Yamato wondered if Taichi was going to connect the dots had he stared longer.</p><p>"Taichi," Sora said, and his head immediately turned to her. "You know I was joking about my song being about you, right?"</p><p>"Whoa, Sora," he replied. "First you bruised my ego with the words, and now I find out you didn't sing about me <em>at all</em>? That's harsh."</p><p>"I need to get you off of your high horse somehow."</p><p>"If it brings me down to earth with you, I'll take it."</p><p>"Shut up."</p><p>"Real smooth, Taichi," Takeru said, while Hikari squealed in awe.</p><p>Yamato watched Sora blush and lean her head against Taichi's shoulder. He couldn't help but smile at his two best friends happy with each other.</p><p>"Okay guys, is it my turn?!" Mimi said excitedly.</p><p>"I was going to call on you next!" Hikari said, grin. "Let's go, Queen Mimi!"</p><p>Mimi jumped out of her seat and rushed to grab the microphone from Hikari. The first song Mimi sang was one that Yamato didn't have to read the screen to recognize. He had known her to hum whatever song was in her head, and having an appetite similar to Takeru's radio-friendly tastes, Yamato was not surprised to see Mimi sing <em>Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me"</em> in that moment.</p><p>She was on her feet swaying for the whole of the song as she belted the notes. Yamato saw that she was really into it, and she pranced around the room singing to everyone. He noticed her glancing his way from time to time, but it wasn't until the end of the song, with the swish of her hair as she turned to face him with the microphone, that he began to wonder if she was singing those lyrics to him.</p><p>Yamato hoped that the roaring cheers and applause from the others distracted them from the blush forming on his cheeks.</p><p>"Nobody minds if I go again, do you?" Mimi asked through her mic.</p><p>"As long as Yamato doesn't mind," said Takeru. "He hasn't gone yet."</p><p>Yamato really didn't mind. He would've loved to hear more of Mimi's singing, after all.</p><p>"Hmm. I am going to need a duet partner."</p><p>Yamato shot her a look. "I don't know any of the songs you know."</p><p>She smiled. "You will."</p><p>He raised his brow with intrigue. Before he could press her, Takeru spoke up.</p><p>"I'll be your partner, Mimi!"</p><p>Mimi let out a squeal. "YES! What song should we sing together?"</p><p>After a quick flip through the song menu, Takeru punched in the code with the mic that he held.</p><p>Mimi shrieked with giddiness. The song was another from <em>Taylor Swift</em> but sounded unfamiliar to Yamato.</p><p><em>"'Lover'?"</em> Sora said, looking to Taichi who looked just as curious.</p><p>"We're going to rock this!" said Mimi.</p><p>Having never heard the song before, and in spite of the synthesized instrumental version, Yamato could only focus on the lyrics marquee from the screen. The words were simple to him compared to the lyrics in his own songs, but he could tell the emotion that was meant to come across in the song.</p><p>He wanted to hear Mimi sing all day. And in that particular song, he thought Takeru's voice was a solid complement to Mimi's. Taichi, Sora, and Hikari were captivated by the duet, and Yamato had to admit that Takeru sounded especially impressive there. But as Mimi's eyes looked up and met with Yamato's, suddenly, Yamato had forgotten what he had been thinking about...</p><p>"Yamato!" Taichi called.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>The music was no longer playing, and all eyes were on him once again. That was when he realized he had gotten lost in the song, stuck on her vocals.</p><p>"Now that you're back with us, wanna take your turn?"</p><p>"No, thanks," he said right away. "Mimi can take it. She sounds better than me."</p><p>Mimi gasped. "No way, Yamato! You're too kind!" She pushed buttons on the number pad of the mic, quick to choose her next song. Then, she added, "Don't think for one minute that you're getting away without singing, Ishida. I've saved your song for last."</p><p>The next few turns remained Mimi's, and her song choices moved away from <em>Taylor Swift</em> but stayed within the realm of pop. After a few songs, Taichi and Takeru each sang one more song, and Mimi sang <em>"Harmonia" by Rhythem</em> with Sora and everyone was wowed once again.</p><p>Even though Yamato was having fun watching Mimi sing, he had been dreading the moment that came for the last song.</p><p>"Now, I <em>knew </em>you'd be boring and refuse to sing anything by someone else," Mimi said to him as she passed him the mic. "But I'm sure you'll be okay with this song."</p><p>The sound of a bass line played before him, and it took him a split second to figure it out.</p><p>"Wait a minute - that's my song!"</p><p>"That's right!" Mimi said in a sing-song. "The girl at the front said they just added this song today. Are you going to refuse your own song?"</p><p>It was strange to sing the karaoke version of his own song, <em>"Boku ni totte,"</em> but he went along with it. He imagined himself standing and holding his bass guitar as he performed in front of his friends, and he smirked as he sang his own lyrics.</p><p>He didn't mind that Taichi joined in at the start of the first chorus, and then Sora, Takeru, and Hikari later on, all while Mimi sat, bouncing in her seat and watching in adoration. Amid the weirdness of it all, It humbled him to see his friends singing along to a song that he wrote himself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The song choices drew some references from skymont aka earlgreymon's music headcanons plus some anime references from me! I ramble more about it on Tumblr. It was fun to indulge in my musical tastes. I do love me some karaoke!</p><p>ANYWAY, the day isn't over yet. Have faith that something will happen for Yamato. ;)</p><p>Thanks for reading!</p><p>P.S. Come say hi in my Discord! xoxo</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shortly after Yamato's karaoke rendition of his own song, the group walked across the street to the shabu shabu restaurant for dinner.</p><p>"Let's go here!" Mimi said enthusiastically with everyone showing their piqued curiosity. "I <em>looove</em> shabu shabu!"</p><p>It was there, as they all took their seats at their large table, that Mimi began to talk about her latest idea.</p><p>"Video blogging?" Sora asked. "That's exciting!"</p><p>"About what?" added Tai.</p><p>"Everything, I bet," replied Yamato.</p><p>"I have so many ideas!" Mimi confirmed. "I've got a whole wardrobe that I've been dying to show off, and it might be fun to take videos of the sweets I know how to bake! And I want to sing some song covers- Oh!" She turned to Yamato who was sitting next to her, and she grabbed his arm. "You've <em>got</em> to cover a song with me sometime!"</p><p>Yamato shot her a look. "Are you serious?"</p><p>"Oh, please, please, <em>please</em>? We can sing a duet!"</p><p>Yamato chuckled. "I know why you'd ask me. You'd be using my band status to get more views."</p><p>"I mean, of course that's part of it, but it's beside the point!"</p><p>"So, you admit it, then?"</p><p>"Was I wrong to say it so loud?"</p><p>"Sorry for interrupting," interjected Sora in a whisper as she leaned over from Yamato's other side. "Taichi's starting to get a little moody. Maybe we should think about what to order first?"</p><p>Yamato replied with a slight nod and picked up the menu, but not before exchanging a glance at Mimi and pressed his lips together to hold in his laughter. Mimi seemed to let her giggles run free, and she leaned towards him to look at the menu items together.</p><p>It surprised even himself at how comfortable he felt. Yamato noticed his change in comfort level being merely inches away. Especially after enjoying his time in the karaoke room and feeling the rush of singing along to his song with his friends, he was happy to be sitting so close.</p><p>"Y-Yamato…" Mimi said rather tentatively.</p><p>"Yeah?" With a blink, he noticed the pink on her face and the way she averted her eyes from him to stare at the menu. At that moment, he realized that he had been staring at her, and the short-lived comfort turned into embarrassment. "Sorry…"</p><p>"Well! How do we all feel about tonkotsu broth?" The high-pitch of Mimi's voice made Yamato feel worse.</p><p>"Sounds great!" Sora replied. "As long as it isn't spicy."</p><p>"Don't worry! We could ask for hot sauce on the side."</p><p>"Ooh! Get me some!" Taichi added.</p><p>"I'll get some, too. I'm sure you want some too, Yama?"</p><p>"Sure," he replied, surprised. "How did you know?"</p><p>Mimi laughed. "You only mentioned it the other day!"</p><p>"I don't know how you can handle it," Hikari said. "The heat is too much!"</p><p>"I don't get it, either," added Takeru.</p><p>"Believe me," said Sora. "I'm just as clueless even after watching these two boys rant about their mouths being on fire."</p><p>"Hey." Taichi lifted his hands up which drew everyone's attention to him. "That had to be, hands down, the spiciest wasabi we've ever eaten. Right, Yamato?"</p><p>Sora stared agape. "You said that before you decided to see which of you could eat the most!"</p><p>"What?!" Mimi looked to Taichi, then Yamato in disbelief. "I didn't hear about this!"</p><p>"Hey, there."</p><p>Yamato and the rest of the table turned and saw the hostess arrive with a notepad in her hand. Her smile didn't match the frazzled tone in her voice. "Have you decided on what to order?"</p><p>"Oh- Sorry!" Sora said. "We don't want to keep you waiting…"</p><p>"No, take your time, I could come back."</p><p>As the table fell silent, Yamato could hear the cacophony of voices around him at different tables, and saw another host quickly rushing down the aisle. The restaurant was busy, and he even saw his friends as their eyes moved quickly through the menu to try to figure out what they wanted. Yamato wasn't familiar with the restaurant, and he doubted that the others were, either. That was when he remembered Mimi's excitement for choosing the restaurant earlier.</p><p>He looked to Mimi. "Maybe you should order for us."</p><p>"Really? Would everyone be okay with that?"</p><p>"You seem to know about this place more than we do, and you're really good with knowing everyone's tastes. You ordered the sweet potato fries, didn't you?"</p><p>"He's got a point," Taichi said, which indicated that he was listening in.</p><p>As soon as Mimi realized everyone had agreed, she let out an excited squeal. She selected a few of the premium meats and some seafood that got sounds of approval from around the table.</p><p>Sora lightly tapped her elbow on Yamato's side. "Proud of you," she said.</p><p>Soon, the hostess returned with the tonkatsu broth which she poured into the huge pot at the center of the table. While they waited, with Mimi's help, Sora urged Taichi to launch into the story of his and Yamato's wasabi-eating contest, and how it ended with him wailing as his mouth raged, and how Sora ran around trying to find glasses of water while Yamato coughed on the side.</p><p>Yamato remembered the tears in his eyes as he coughed from the wasabi, but the tears that nearly came to him were of laughter when Taichi revived the memory. Everyone, including Sora, was laughing at his and Taichi's ultimate demise. Mimi could barely speak through her giggles with her hands holding her stomach.</p><p>"You two are crazy!" Mimi managed to breathe out. "I can't believe I was in New York to miss that!"</p><p>The laughter around the table died down just as the hostess returned with plates of raw meats and vegetables, along with a few separate bowls filled with steamed rice and noodles. Yamato watched Takeru and Hikari stared in wonder as Mimi picked up a pair of tongs and began to add the ingredients into the bubbling broth.</p><p>"Mmm, I can't wait," said Taichi.</p><p>"This is going to be <em>so</em> much food!" Hikari said.</p><p>Realizing that Mimi was the only one dropping the ingredients, Yamato picked up another pair of tongs.</p><p>"We're a pretty big group, so you might need some help," he told her.</p><p>Mimi beamed, and then feigned bashfulness by holding her hand on her cheek.</p><p>"What a gentleman!" she exclaimed. "As expected from my<em> rockstar chef</em>!"</p><p>Yamato shot back a smile.</p><p>"'Rockstar chef'?" Taichi asked, confused.</p><p>"Oh! Because he's a musician and a good cook!" Takeru replied. "Right, Onii-chan?"</p><p>The other four left it at that and continued to talk among themselves, but Yamato laughed with Mimi at their inside joke.</p><p>Soon, the ultimate stew was ready, and the ladles were passed around for everyone at the table to serve themselves. From the first bite, Yamato agreed that the tonkotsu broth was an excellent choice, as was Mimi's selection of meats.</p><p>"<em>Soooo good!"</em> Mimi cried, and the others seemed to be too busy eating to respond, but as far as Yamato was concerned, she was speaking on behalf of their party.</p><p>Yamato was too occupied enjoying his own bowl of soup when Mimi called him.</p><p>"Hey, what sauce have you been adding?" she asked.</p><p>"Hmm? Oh, it's hoisin. It really adds to the other flavors." He lifted his spoon and at the same time, Mimi drew in to take a sip.</p><p>"Mmm! That's delicious!"</p><p>Mimi took more of the hoisin sauce for her own servings, and Yamato instantly regretted looking over in Taichi's direction after he gave him a "thumbs up".</p><p>Yamato enjoyed the rest of his meal listening to his friends chatter while they ate together. Mimi circled back to her vlogging idea and ranted about how Koushiro was slow in getting back to her about editing her videos. She also whined at Yamato for being "no fun" when he declined a duet with her.</p><p>"I'll sing with you, Mimi!" Takeru said happily.</p><p>Mimi's mood instantly lifted back into excitement. "Yay!"</p><p>At the time the hostess arrived with the check, Yamato reached for his wallet in his back pocket and noticed that his friends were doing the same. They also shared the same dumbfounded reaction when Mimi waved them all off and said she would take care of the check.</p><p>"Mimi, at least let us pay our share," Sora protested.</p><p>"No way!" Mimi insisted. "I brought you all here and I love you to death. Let me handle this."</p><p>Even Yamato tried to get a word in and let out a sigh once Mimi responded with denial.</p><p>Yamato was full to his satisfaction as he walked out of the restaurant with the others. As they all stood grouped together near the entrance, Mimi pulled out her phone to call her chauffeur and told everyone that she would offer them all a ride home.</p><p>"Now you're <em>really </em>spoiling us," said Hikari.</p><p>"No kidding, Mimi," added Taichi as he draped his arm around Sora whose eyes appeared to be drooping. The heavy meal seemed to have put her in a sleepy state.</p><p>Takeru and Hikari must have taken advantage of Taichi's focus on wrapping his arms around Sora. The two stood together, hands interlocked. Hikari giggled as Takeru gave a peck on her nose, both of them darting furtive glances behind Taichi every few moments.</p><p>And Yamato, aware that Mimi stood right beside him, began to wonder if he should act. When he turned to look at Mimi, he realized her brown eyes were already staring back.</p><p>The approaching bright lights and a car honk were not enough to break their gaze.</p><p>"Meems, is this your ride?" Taichi asked.</p><p>"Y-yeah…" Mimi blinked and looked ahead, starting towards the car. "Everybody, climb in!"</p><p>Throughout the car ride, Taichi and Mimi held the conversation, but the group generally fell quiet, and Yamato knew it was because of how much they had eaten. With the smile on her lips of contentment, Sora leaned against Taichi with her eyes closed. Across from them, Takeru and Hikari had leaned back against their seats as they sat an arm's width apart. Their hands at their sides were twitching, as though they were cautious from Taichi's wandering eyes.</p><p>Yamato couldn't help but let out a yawn himself. He listened to Taichi bring up whatever thoughts he had in his mind, with Mimi telling him how weird he was. Hearing them reminded Yamato of the days in the Digital World and how he couldn't stand their chatter during his attempts to fall asleep.</p><p>He had grown used to it since then, and he even added to Taichi's discussion, which led to their usual back and forth banter. He saw Sora's eyes open again, if only to roll them at the boys, but when Mimi had called him just as weird and burst into giggles, Yamato couldn't help but crack a smile at her reaction.</p><p>Sora's home was the first stop, and Sora waved goodbye to everyone. Taichi gave her a kiss on the cheek, causing her to leave the car with her face as red as her hair. Yamato remembered her bickering with Taichi at how uncomfortable she was with displaying their affection in front of everyone, but she eventually agreed to what Taichi had just done.</p><p>As soon as she was gone, Yamato noticed Hikari and Takeru sitting slightly further away from each other. The fact that the two of them were facing opposite directions even caught Taichi's eye.</p><p>"What's with you two?" Taichi asked.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Hikari shot back.</p><p>Taichi's retort was interrupted by Mimi's loud, sudden gasp.</p><p>"Koushiro, noooo!" she cried, staring aghast at the phone screen in front of her.</p><p>"What happened?" Yamato asked her.</p><p>Mimi sulked in her seat. "I was counting on Kou to help me edit my YouTube videos! He says he's too busy with the Computer Club right now."</p><p>"Aww, I'm sorry, Mimi," said Takeru.</p><p>Takeru was the next to make his exit, and he promised Mimi that he'd always be free to sing a song cover duet with her anytime.</p><p>He and Hikari exchanged small hand waves before he left the car.</p><p>"Takeru didn't do anything to upset you, did he?" Taichi asked Hikari shortly after.</p><p>"Why'd you ask that?" she asked.</p><p>"You two were really 'buddy-buddy' for the whole day, and just now it looked like something might've happened."</p><p>Hikari shot him a hard stare. "Taichi, if I told you that he and I were going out and I got upset because he didn't want to hold my hand, would you believe me?"</p><p>"Uh-"</p><p>Hikari stared down her brother, who seemed to be at a loss of what to say next. But then, his lips curled at one side and he gave Hikari a look.</p><p>"Nice one, Hikari. You really got me there."</p><p>"... I did, didn't I?"</p><p>Hikari laughed along with Taichi. Mimi couldn't hold in her laughter, and Yamato wanted to hit his palm against his face, if not against the back of Taichi's head..</p><p>After Taichi and Hikari bade them goodnight and left the car, Yamato was left alone with Mimi. Somehow, he knew this was going to happen as he watched his brother and his friends leave each time, but especially realizing after Sora said 'goodbye' that his place was actually the closest to the restaurant.</p><p>Not that he minded, at all.</p><p>"That guy, sometimes.." Yamato said to Mimi.</p><p>When her laughter calmed, she let out a loud sigh. "Tonight was fun, wasn't it?"</p><p>He nodded. "It was."</p><p>"I'm not sure if I believe you." Mimi lightly smacked his shoulder, suddenly showing a pout. "You weren't into karaoke."</p><p>"It's just not my thing!" he argued. "The tempo compared to the actual song is always off, the song is never in the right key, and the instrumentals just sound obnoxious."</p><p>Mimi scoffed and crossed her arms. "Not everything has to sound like a perfect production, Yamato! Karaoke just has to sound good enough for me to sing along to my favorite American pop songs - I know you're judging me right now and I don't care!"</p><p>Yamato couldn't hide his smile.</p><p>"You can't judge me if you listen to that weird indie music," she continued. "And don't pretend that you don't have some Taylor Swift songs in your iTunes. Consider yourself lucky that I didn't call you out on it. You know you love her - you just won't admit it."</p><p>"I won't."</p><p>"Fine."</p><p>Mimi sighed and Yamato didn't respond, allowing the silence to fall between them, the only sound coming from the hum of the car as it travelled through the bright lights of the streets.</p><p>When the car stopped at the traffic light, Mimi gave him a small smile. Her brown eyes seemed to sparkle under the lights, but her smile wasn't as bright as it normally was.</p><p>Yamato sensed that something was on her mind, but all that was on his seemed to disappear the moment she leaned to lay her head on his shoulder.</p><p>"You could be famous like her one day, Yamato," she said.</p><p>"Like… Like who?" he asked, feeling like he was doing a terrible job controlling his fluster with his shoulders suddenly tense. The confidence he carried all throughout dinner had disappeared. He knew Mimi could sense his nerves after hearing her giggle.</p><p>"Like Taylor Swift, silly. That's what you want, right? For your band and for your songs to get all the attention."</p><p>"Ah, right…"<em> Calm down, Yamato. </em>"Songs in the 'Top 10', a number one album. Who wouldn't want that?"</p><p>"I guess you and I have that in common. I'd love to be famous. Oh, I can't wait to start my YouTube channel!" Mimi then lifted her head to meet his stare. "You're always welcome to help me become famous, Yamato."</p><p>Yamato quirked his brow. "Are you really just going to use me like that?</p><p>"The price of fame, Yama."</p><p>He rolled his eyes and she grinned before leaning against him again. He noticed at that point his shoulders felt more relaxed, but Mimi was also leaning closer to his chest.</p><p>"...I'm sure you know what it's like, too," she added, sounding less cheerful. "To be special in someone else's eyes."</p><p>He turned to look at her, but he could only see the top of her hair.</p><p>"You're the lead singer of your band, Yama. You have an amazing voice, and I don't know anything about guitars but you look good playing yours…"</p><p>"Well…Thanks," he replied, glad that she wasn't able to see his blush.</p><p>"You stand out, and you can see it from how everyone else treats you. They act differently around you as they would an ordinary person."</p><p>"What about you, Mimi? You never seemed to be afraid to stand out. I'm sure you were pretty popular in New York."</p><p>The long pause from her was noticeable. Yamato wondered if he had touched a nerve.</p><p>"It's not always fun and games when you stand out, is it?" she asked.</p><p>Yamato felt that he had a lot to say about it. "Well, no, it isn't. Me and my band love the spotlight, even if some people don't like us. I've learned not to worry about it so much. Maybe I learned it from you."</p><p>"From me?"</p><p>"...and Taichi…"</p><p>"...Oh."</p><p>He felt like an idiot for blurting that out, and especially adding Taichi's name on instinct. He was starting to panic again, but he tried to keep his cool. "I mean, you and Taichi aren't afraid to speak your minds. I've always admired that. And for you to try out different things for yourself, putting yourself in the spotlight in your own way. There's nothing wrong with standing out, Mimi. It's why…"</p><p>After a moment's pause, he decided to finish the sentence in full:</p><p>"It's why I like you so much."</p><p>But once he realized he actually said it, Yamato's heart began to pound. The silence otherwise rang in his ears.</p><p>Mimi sat up and turned to look him in the eyes.</p><p>"Say that again?"</p><p>"Oh, uh… There's nothing wrong with standing out. How many times have I seen you dye your hair a ridiculous color?"</p><p>"...What?"</p><p>He decided to keep going. "You got people from other karaoke rooms looking into ours and you weren't shy about it. And for as long as I've known you, you aren't afraid to yell, scream, or cry at any moment."</p><p>"What was that about a ridiculous hair color?"</p><p>"Ridiculous in a good way. Pink was really cute on you…" He shifted uncomfortably as he revealed the truth.</p><p>"Mm-hmm…" The tinge of pink on her cheeks must have matched the color of his whole face at that moment. "And what about my hair color now?"</p><p>"I like it. It really suits you."</p><p>"Of course it does. It's my natural hair color but I think it's a little boring. So, you were saying before that...?"</p><p>Somehow, he had leaned closer to her, close enough to hold up a lock of her hair. He wanted to tell her that he would never call her hair or anything else about her 'boring'. It was like the color of honey and caramel, both sweet. Some strands were a darker brown, like cinnamon. A touch of spice...</p><p>"You look like you're making up song lyrics right now, Yamato…" Mimi quipped, but she sounded as though she could barely speak.</p><p>Yamato laughed. He had trouble repeating what he knew Mimi was waiting for him to say. But it was hard for him to say how he truly felt.</p><p>So he decided it was time, Kami help him, to show her instead.</p><p>His hand that held her lock of hair made its way to the side of her cheek. Mimi let out a soft gasp, her twinkling eyes meeting his while his thumb gently caressed her. She lifted her hand to put over his in acceptance.</p><p>"If I told you I wanted to kiss you, would you let me?" he asked with his voice lowered.</p><p>She was already drawing closer. "I would tell you to hurry up," she whispered back.</p><p>There was no turning back. Yamato leaned forward, closer and closer until his lips had finally met hers.</p><p>Slowly, he drew in his breath, taking in the feeling of her soft, sweet lips on his. He was hesitant to move any quicker, but she seemed to follow his lead. Was this even real?</p><p>Yamato pulled back, his eyes opened and looking into hers again.</p><p>"You keep looking at me like that," Mimi said.</p><p>"Like what?"</p><p>"Like how you've been looking at me at the restaurant... at karaoke... while we waited for the car…"</p><p>"Oh…" Yamato turned to look away from her, feeling his embarrassment return.</p><p>"It's like you're thinking hard about something, maybe harder than it really is. And that there's more you want to tell me, but maybe you're not ready to tell me everything you feel about me."</p><p>"If you want me to stop, I will."</p><p>"No." Mimi's fingers gently reached his cheek as she turned him to face her again. "It makes me feel special, just knowing that you see me the way that you do. Because I hope you know that I feel the same way about you. Besides, I find it charming."</p><p>Her fingers reached his hair, and he felt the tingles sweep all over.</p><p>"Now, hurry up, slowpoke. You look like you want to kiss me again."</p><p>Yamato smirked at Mimi who looked back in anticipation. He still wondered whether or not it was all a dream, but as he moved his hand at will to slide around her back and pulled her close, he felt the weight of her free hand behind his neck, and her body closer to his chest before her lips melted into his again.</p><p>If this was a dream he wanted it to last forever.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>YAY THIS HAPPENED. How are you guys doing after THAT?</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>I thought I'd give you a few seconds to collect yourselves before you read the next part of my note.</p><p><b>I'm going on hiatus in March.</b> I plan to figure out more writing stuff but it's also a good time for me to take some pressure off while I try to deal with real life stuff.</p><p>Thanks again for reading. It means a lot to me! Take care and I'll be back. &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy New Year! Expect more updates for this fic in the coming weeks as I work on my longer WIPs that have been collecting dust. :)</p><p>Thanks for reading! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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